Lady Of Vintage: Victoria Sponge

It's cake time once more! The lovely Jess from Lady Of Vintage has brought us a classic Victoria Sponge recipe and believe us, her sponges are incredible (we had a tasting session last week!). So pre-heat your ovens, tie back your hair in a silk scarf and get ready to give Mary Berry a run for her money.

A vintage hello from “Lady of Vintage Bakery”...

We are inspired by all things vintage, shabby chic and retro when it comes to cakes and tea. So to start off our little baking adventure here on the blog we have a traditional Victoria Sponge Sandwich recipe. The recipe itself is from the 1950’s and has been adapted with the use of unsalted butter. It’s a must try for all cake lovers!

Ingredients:
226 g Self Raising Flour
226 g Caster Sugar
226 g Unsalted Butter or Stork
4 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

For your decoration and indulgent cake filling use your favourite strawberry jam, fresh strawberries and whipped double cream.

Preheat your oven to 160C (If you have a fan assisted one you may have to adjust slightly)
Butter 2X 8 inch sprung tins.
· Place Flour, Sugar, Eggs, Butter and Baking Powder into a large bowl and mix until combined. (It really is that simple!)
· Divide your mix evenly into the two tins. You can always weigh each one if you are a perfectionist.
· Place in the oven for around 25 minutes.
· Next, allow your sponges to cool completely (otherwise getting them out the tin can create a messy disaster!)
· Take one of the cakes and spread your chosen jam and/or whipped cream. Place the other sponge on top pressing down gently.
· Decorate with strawberries and icing sugar and enjoy with a nice cup of tea perhaps?

You can find further recipes and vintage chatter over on our blog at www.ladyofvintage.com or visit our bakery website to order or simply take a tour at www.ladyofvintagebakery.com 

Until next time!

Jessica-Lady of Vintage 

Teatime Vintage: Chocolate Guinness Cake

Sheffield will be in luck on Saturday, that's for sure! But even if you're not based up north you'll be able to get a taste of what is on offer from Teatime Vintage with one of their favourite recipes. Retro aprons on? Check. Hair under silk scarves? Yup. Red lippy intact? Well, for now...let's bake!

Having the opportunity to host the Sheffield Vintage Fair Tea Parties is a complete thrill for us here at Teatime Vintage.  Planning the menu, baking the cakes, dressing the tables, using our gorgeous vintage china collection and serving our lovely vintage-loving customers all add to the fun.

We like to use seasonal locally produced ingredients whenever possible. And so, this time round we’ll be using the last of the late Summers berries alongside the richer spicier flavours of ginger and cinnamon more representative of Autumn.  Thankfully, chocolate NEVER goes out of season!

In addition to the standard tea party issue cupcakes – as lovely as they are - we will again be bringing a selection of layer cakes – elderflower and lemon drizzle, carrot and ginger,  rose and pistachio - our signature mini-Victoria Sponges, and of course our retro sweet bar.

Despite not being the most traditional of tea party offerings, one cake that will definitely be making a return appearance will be the much loved  Chocolate Guiness Cake. It is possibly the most dense and rich chocolate cake you will ever get the pleasure to taste, balanced out with a cream cheese topping. What’s not to love?  Want to have a go at making it yourself?  Marvellous.  It’s easy- peasy so get your sleeves rolled up and get stuck in!

For the cake
· 250 ml Guinness 
· 250 grams unsalted butter 
· 75 grams cocoa powder 
· 400 grams caster sugar 
· 142 ml sour cream 
· 2 medium eggs 
· 1 tablespoon(s) vanilla extract 
· 275 grams Plain flour 
· 2.5 teaspoon(s) bicarbonate of soda 
For the topping
· 300 grams cream cheese 
· 150 grams Icing sugar 
· 125 ml double cream (or whipping cream) – we always use double cream

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius and butter and line (put a disc or greaseproof paper to cover the bottom of your tin)  a round 23cm tin – if you have a springform tin (the ones where the bottom detaches from the sides) then your life will be much easier when you come to getting your cake out of the tin.

Put the Guinness and butter into a large wide saucepan and heat gently. Once the butter has melted whisk in the cocoa and sugar.  Beat the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract together before adding to the pan then whisk in the flour and bicarbonate of soda.

 And that’s your cake batter made - it really is that simple!

Pour the cake batter into your prepared tin and bake for between 45 mins and an hour – I check after 45 mins by inserting a skewer (or knife) into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean then your cake is ready. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack.  If you try to remove the cake from the tin before it is completely cool then you risk it breaking up as it is such a very moist cake.

To make the topping, whip the cream cheese unit it is creamy and smooth.  Sieve the icing sugar onto the cream cheese and beat them together.  Add the cream and beat again until the mixture is thick enough to spread.  Spread onto the top of the cake using a pallet knife to form soft peaks so that it resembles the froth of a pint of lovely creamy Guinness.

Now pour yourself a cuppa, congratulate yourself on your baking brilliance, and enjoy a huge slab of your homebaked cake.  Delicious!

Hoping to see you on Saturday at our Vintage Tea Party!